Archaeological inquiry at the home of an antebellum free black laborer in Chestertown, Maryland, has provided an opportunity to examine the material culture of 19th century African Americans on the Eastern Shore, a subject and a region that has received comparatively little historical archaeological attention. While the conditions of the excavation were not optimal, the large artifact assemblage recovered, coupled with architectural and historical evidences, can be used to formulate some general conclusions about antebellum blacks on the Eastern Shore. The results of the investigations at the site suggest that Thomas Cuff, a former slave and slave owner himself, and one of the more prominent members of the black community in Chestertown, was possessed of material culture that was representative of the laboring free blacks on the 19th century Delmarva Peninsula.
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